Face it, big data can be scary. There are infrastructure expenses, of course, as well as hiring costs associated with bringing aboard those elusive and expensive data scientists, highly skilled folks who turn massive volumes of unstructured information from a variety of sources into actionable insights.

But perhaps big data isn't as daunting as you think. That's according to Microsoft, which is positioning itself as a big data player with several business intelligence (BI) tools for enterprises. For instance, the company recently released a preview of Data Explorer for Excel 2013, a self-service BI add-in that makes it easier for everyday business workers (not just data scientists) to import data from a variety of sources, including big data platforms like Hadoop.

Which brings us to the big data adoption myths: What are they, and does Microsoft take them down?

The first myth: It's too hard for an organization's IT stack to support big data, which invariably creates infrastructure and scalability woes, wrote Microsoft's Eron Kelly, general manager for SQL Server, in a recent blog post.

An organization may not need racks of servers and other hardware it believes are essential to its big data solution. Rather, an economical solution should offer the "ability to store and process large volumes of data while eliminating any upfront infrastructure cost, as you pay only for the storage and compute capacity that you use," Kelly wrote.

Not surprisingly, Microsoft's own Windows Azure HDInsight Service fits that description, but Kelly's advice is still useful for enterprises shopping around for big data solutions from other vendors, too.

"While it is true that the industry needs more data scientists, it is equally true that most organizations are equipped with the employees they need today to help them gather the valuable insights from their data that will better their business," writes Kelly.

In other words, big data tools and apps can save the day. Microsoft's argument ties in with the so-called democratization of data movement. Popular tools, such as Excel with the Data Explorer add-in, allow end users to perform BI analysis without having to pester IT for help.

The third myth: Big data is a challenge rather than an opportunity.

OK, this may sound like a lot of marketing hooey, but there's a lot of truth here. Implementing a big data platform is no doubt both a major headache and a major opportunity. But don't let the former dissuade you from pursuing the latter.

"I'm often asked, "Where is the ultimate value in big data and how do I tap into it?" There are two key measures in my mind: 1) time to insight, and, 2) return on accessible data. These measures are, in turn, enabled through a process I call information production," wrote Microsoft technical fellow Dave Campbell.

Information production is the process of converting data from one domain to another, according to Campbell. Good information production tools allow you to gain business insights in less time. Add big data to the mix, and you've got a much wider variety of unstructured and structured data to explore.

These tools "allow you to get from a hunch to validation very quickly," wrote Campbell.

Welcome to
TechWeb, the IT professional's online resource for news coverage of the
information technology industry. We know technology news. Our mobile
and wireless news coverage moves as fast as wireless technology itself.
We follow all the devices you depend on to stay connected. Our software
coverage follows the multi-faceted software industry from every angle.
We've got a lock on network security and computer security issues.
We're all over the business of the Web--the Internet business--and the
engines that run it. We have our eyes and ears tuned to the players who
make and run the tools that tie us all together--Google, Microsoft,
eBay, Cisco, Yahoo, Oracle, Apple, Sony--and scores of others. And we
keep close tabs on the backbone of information technology, PC hardware.
We know PCs and Apple computers inside and out. We cover computer
technology, computer news, software news, search engine news, business
software, operating systems, and software development. Our coverage of
tech news includes a strong focus on the security business, its
attendant spyware and viruses, how security relates to wireless
technology and business networking and the security issues surrounding
RFID technology. We closely follow developments in Internet news and
Internet technology, including the spread of broadband and its effect
on Web browsers and the Web business. We watch the VoIP business, and
how VoIP technology is affecting the state of telephony in the
enterprise. And if all that isn't enough, we also track developments in
the IT industry that affect IT jobs, IT careers, and outsourcing.